A Little Comfort
by LoraSwainz
Summary: After everything that happened in the war, all that's needed is a little comfort. A little comfort goes a long way. One-Shot.


**A/N: So, this is just a little something that had been lingering around in the back of my mind for a while and I just had to get it down and out today. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. It's not much like my usual thought process. Hope you enjoy. Reviews are more than welcome; they're encouraged! :)**

'Will you tell me about her?'

It was hushed and rushed. The last thing she had ever expected. It made her heart clench with pain. A sick feeling rising from her stomach. She wanted to say no. To lash out. But how could she? The desperation poured from soft brown eyes tugged at her soul. She noted how the girl was standing, right hand secured tightly over her left forearm.

'What do you want to know?' She meant for it to be gentle, it came out a bit more guttural than she'd hoped for.

'Anything… Good, that you remember.' Anything good? There were plenty of good things. It's just she didn't want to think about them. She didn't want to think about her at all. It was too painful.

'Why?' She frowned.

'She wasn't born a monster.' The girl stammered. 'I'm just hoping. Hoping that if I can maybe try and see her before she lost it, get a sense of her as anything but what she became, that –' a sigh escaped her lips. 'That I can maybe move on.'

'Mione.' Ron smiled has he approached. 'We'd better get going, its late.'

Hermione nodded and smiled politely. 'In that case, I guess I'll see you soon, Mrs. Tonks.'

* * *

Christmas was the next time she saw her. Her and Teddy had been invited to the Burrow for dinner. She watched as everyone laughed and joked, exchanged gifts. Melancholy hung in the air, pressing in on everyone. The bags under her eyes were evident. They made her look older, but her eyes lighter. She noticed the uncomfortable shift when Ron sat beside her, draping an arm over her shoulder.

An hour later, she found her sat on the front step. Her wand alongside her after she'd cast a spell; the snow fell everywhere but on top of brown curls.

'She saved my life once.'

Soft brown eyes snapped to her own. Sighing, she sat next to her. 'I was 8, she was 12. I thought it would be fun to ice skate on the frozen pond at our estate. We did it all the time. Our parents would charm it and the five of us would zoom around as though nothing else really mattered. It was late December, I walked out and tried to skate but didn't have my skates. Mother used to transfigure our shoes. They always charmed it to stay frozen solid and well, they weren't there that time. I tried to move and fell, breaking the ice and falling straight through. It felt like hours, obviously it wasn't. It was like needles, hitting every inch of skin at once. Then there were hands tugging at me. She called me a blithering toad but clung to me like the world depended on it. She carried me inside, tucked me into her bed. Snuck into the kitchen, made me hot chocolate. Held me all night, checking my temperature. Keeping me warm. Smoothing my hair and telling me stories of her adventures at Hogwarts.'

Both sets of eyes were glistening. Again, her right hand was over her left forearm, rubbing slightly.

'When I started Hogwarts, there was a Gryffindor boy, Giles McLaggen. His son, Cormac, I believe you know. Giles was horrible, from the moment I started he wouldn't leave me alone. Kept going on about a good match for marriage. When I turned him down for the hundredth time, he got a bit angry. Hexed me and broke my nose. Bella, she went nuts. He was in the hospital wing for a fortnight.' A dark smile had crept onto her face. 'She healed my nose for me, took me to the astronomy tower and we sat there for hours, just talking. McGonagall found us at 2 in the morning. Fast asleep, curled up together. She'd shown me my constellation. _The Leader of men._ Told me that I would always be hounded by men, it was what came with being a Black woman, and that I had to grow thicker skin, like she had. Then she told me the stories of the other stars that our family were named after.'

Andromeda sighed softly. Bushy brown hair was now against her shoulder, the girl leaning in for comfort. For both of them.

* * *

'I was hoping I'd see you tonight.' Andromeda stated simply. 'Harry and Ginny happened to mention that you and Ronald had a bit of an argument.'

Hermione sighed. The dark under her eyes was lightening. It was the most human Andromeda had ever seen her.

'He got a bit mad at me for not wanting to see a Medi-witch. He's under the delusion that it's my demons stopping us from moving forward the way we should.'

'He said that?' Andy frowned.

'He didn't have to.' The brunette smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. 'Am I wrong, for believing that I can do this without professional intervention?'

'No.' It was a simple answer. 'You know what's best for you. Just know that you're not alone.'

'I'm not?' She queried softly.

'No. Why on earth would you think that you are?'

'Harry and Ginny have each other. They're made for each other. Turn to each other for everything and so I never want to get in the way of that. I'm supposed to have Ron; it just isn't the same. He'd rather pretend everything is okay and ignore the major issues. Getting professional help for example. He would rather palm me off on to a stranger who hasn't the foggiest about what we've been through than comfort me himself.' Tears had spilled down pale cheeks. The older woman gently brushed them away, noting how sunken and fragile the girl felt. 'And to top it off, all he's done since Harry proposed is drop hints about marriage and a family. I'm not ready for that.' She sobbed openly. 'How can I be ready to look to the future when everything I am is stuck somewhere in the past?'

There was no answer she could have given. Instead, Andromeda wrapped her arms around a fragile body.

'It would have been her birthday today.' The statement was soft. It made the younger witch blink in confusion. 'Bella…' Honey eyes softened in understanding.

'She was never one for sharing. She hated having to give anything of hers to myself or Narcissa. Her 14th… No, 15th birthday, The Lestrange's sent her a hamper – full of sweets and chocolate. They were in talks with my father about setting up her marriage. It had ruined her day. She paced around her room, stomping her feet and pouting. She thought Bellatrix Lestrange sounded horrific, whereas Bellatrix Black sounded fierce. She did nothing while Cissy and I tucked in to the hamper. I know now that it wasn't a new found generosity, but a resentment of what was to come. She cried. Something I hadn't seen since we were really young. She was petrified of what was to become of her life if she had to marry Lestrange. We didn't really know what to do, Cissy and I. We settled for shoving a chocolate frog in her mouth when she wasn't expecting it. For a split second, I thought she was going to kill us. Instead she tickled us until we couldn't breathe. You can't repeat this, but Narcissa wet herself she laughed so much. It was one of the last times I ever knew her to be care-free. What with her OWLS, NEWTS, and engagement to Rodolphus, she was just always so tense. Then one night, she came to see Cissy and I in the library. She was to be married 2 weeks from then and the Lestrange's had brought a friend with them to one of the planning sessions. A young, handsome man named Tom. She talked for ages about how dreamy his eyes were. Cissy and I made gagging sounds when she told us that he'd brushed his hand against her side and told her she was capable of great things. She married Rodolphus out of duty but Tom Riddle stepped in soon after with his passionate ideas on supremacy. He'd tell her how it was her purity that made her so special. I laughed at that. That was the first time she ever lashed out at me. A slap across the face.' Andromeda stopped, her voice suddenly went dry.

'There was so much of her in, Dora. She wasn't particularly good at sharing, and when she got in a mood she'd stomp and pout the exact same way. It was a mixture of nostalgia and terror, seeing her behave that way. In the end, knowing how good a person my daughter had become, it became a comfort. As though looking at who Bella could have and should have been.'

'I appreciate you doing this for me. I can't imagine how this feels for you.' The young Gryffindor whispered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

'Does it help you?' The older woman queried.

'I think so.' Hermione smiled weakly. 'The nightmares are becoming less frequent and they feel less real.'

'I'm glad. I think, it's helping me too. To remember the times when she meant the world to me. Knowing that she wasn't always the woman she became. The Bella I knew, and am choosing to remember was smart and kind and passionate. Not the woman who tortured for fun and killed my daughter.'

'I can't really believe I'm going to say this… But I think I would have liked Bellatrix Black.' Hermione uttered the words with wide eyes, as though she would end the world by saying them.

'You would have. Bellatrix Black and Bellatrix Lestrange are different people.' Andromeda sighed softly, trying to ease the girl's worries.

'I'm not sure if I ever said this, but I am so sorry for your losses Mrs. Tonks.' Fresh tears spilled from honey orbs.

'Please, call me Andy, Andromeda at the least.'

* * *

Someone at the door was not what she was expecting. It was late, she was in her pyjamas, a bottle of firewhiskey on the coffee table and a photo of her husband and child in hand. Bushy brown hair and the sad smile of Hermione Granger was also, not expected.

'I'm sorry, I know its late.'

'Come in.' Andromeda sat, ushering the girl to do the same. Her eyes were lighter again, they had begun to shine slightly, life creeping its way back in.

'Truthfully, I don't know why I'm here.' The brunette stated, her fingers clumsily fiddling with the hem of her jumper. 'I just didn't like the thought of you being alone.'

Andromeda smiled, tears threatening to spill. 'I appreciate it, Hermione.' She poured the girl a glass of whiskey and smiled wider when she knocked it back in one. 'You didn't go to the ball?'

'It didn't appeal very much. I know it's about uniting the wizarding community but I couldn't bring myself to smile and dance and chat as though everything's okay.' The brunette snorted.

'Biggest farce I've ever heard of.' The older woman grunted. 'An anniversary memorial ball in memory of the fallen?' She laughed bitterly. 'Why would anyone want to celebrate that?'

'Harry cried all day, he was dreading it. He thinks it's too soon and they should have at least waited for the second anniversary. Kingsley persuaded him to go, see. Said that it would mean a lot to him if he did. Harry's a bit too nice sometimes.' Hermione smirked.

'And Ron?' Andromeda asked with a raised eyebrow.

'He was looking forward to it. He's still in the frame of mind where he thinks that pretending everything and everyone is okay is the best thing to do.'

'Molly told me he was planning on proposing last month, I didn't hear anything so I assumed it didn't go to plan.' Andromeda smiled warmly.

'I said no.' The brunette hung her head. 'It's just not right. We're not the same people we were before the war, no matter how hard he pretends.'

'I'm sorry to hear that.' The older woman rubbed the girl's shoulder briefly. 'Narcissa owled me last week.'

'Wow… What did she say?' The brunette frowned.

'She said she wanted to meet up, today.'

'And did you?'

'Yes.' Andromeda whispered. 'It was strange, seeing her after all these years. She still looked and smelled the same.' She snorted, though her lips had formed a smile. 'We talked for hours, about nothing. Then when we realised we couldn't skirt around the issue anymore we just held each other and cried.'

'Are you going to see her again?' The brunette questioned gently.

'Yes, next Tuesday in fact.'

* * *

Andromeda frowned as she watched the girl, chatting away to her newly acquainted nephew, Draco. You would never have been able to tell the history they had. They seemed content and peaceful, happy to spend the night laughing and joking. It warmed her heart to see the girl smile after so long. The older witch watched as the brunette fawned over James Sirius Potter, a week old and snoozing in his mother's arms.

'We're so glad you and Teddy could make it, Andy.' Harry grinned. It was his and Ginny's first wedding anniversary and the young man was beaming as he looked around the room.

'I wouldn't have missed it for the world.' She retorted, kissing his cheek and laughing at the slight blush that appeared as she did so.

'Andy.' The soft voice pulled her attention away.

'Hermione.' She breathed. 'It's been a while.'

'Too long.' The brunette admitted sheepishly. 'I went to Australia, to find my parents.'

'And did you?' Andromeda needed no answer, the sadness swimming in the other girl's eyes told her all she needed to know. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's okay. Wherever they are, they should be happy.'

'And so should you.' The older woman stated simply. 'I noticed you talking to Draco.' She couldn't describe how the other girl's smile made her feel. It was as though her soul was being tugged at, slowly but harshly. Why was it that Draco was capable of making her light up like that? It just wasn't right.

'Yes, he's rather brilliant now that he's not an arse. I introduced him to Astoria Greengrass, she works in the same department as me. Been a roaring success too.' The brunette grinned and all of a sudden, the feeling was gone.

'I've missed you.' The older woman had said it before she'd realised the words were forming.

'And I you.' The brunette whispered, her hand reaching out to hold one of Andromeda's gently.

'Do you fancy a drink?'

* * *

Another year, another baby Potter and Andromeda found herself sat in the Burrow alongside Hermione Granger who was staring distastefully at the display in front of them. Ronald Weasley was attached at the lips to Lavender Brown and it was safe to say the noises emanating from the pair would turn even the hardest of stomachs. Once the dinner was eaten and the crowd were dissipating, Andy found Hermione sat on the stairs.

'Everything okay?'

'Yes.' The brunette replied, patting the stair and making room for the other woman to sit.

'You seemed a bit off at dinner.' Andromeda spoke softly.

'It's just Lavender. Her and I never really got on.'

'Because of Ron.' She received a nod in reply.

'That's not the issue tonight though.' She added hastily. 'I just wish he'd stop trying to make me jealous.'

Andy laughed. 'Is it working?'

'No!' Hermione joined in with the laughter, her head resting on Andromeda's shoulder. 'I want him to be happy, I just wish he wanted the same for me.'

'I'm sure he does, deep down.' Fingers played with stray curls of brown. 'Are you happy?'

'I am right now.' Hermione sighed in contentment. 'I should make a move though. See you tomorrow for our weekly tea date.' The younger woman smiled before pressing a kiss to a pale cheek.

Half an hour. That was how long Hermione had been ranting for. Her face was a delightful shade of red and her words were getting more and more colourful by the minute.

'So, let me get this straight,' Andy interjected. 'He accused you of being a loner because you won't reconsider his marriage proposal. Even though it's been 2 years and he's had numerous girlfriend's since?'

'Yes.' Hermione sighed. 'Why can't he just leave me the hell alone? He's got it into his thick skull that I can't be over him because I haven't dated any one since.'

'Don't think on it too much, Hermione. He's never been the most rational of people.' Andy reasoned, handing the girl a tumbler of whiskey. Her fourth since she arrived, half an hour ago.

The two witches laughed and drank into the early hours of the morning. 'Has there really not been anyone since, Ron?' Andromeda couldn't resist. She found it impossible to believe. The girl was incredible.

'Not really, no.'

'Not really?' A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised.

'I may have feelings for someone but it doesn't matter. It's absurd.' The brunette blushed. Andromeda paled at the admission, a lump had risen in her throat and the bizarre tugging feeling was back. The one that hurt her soul so often around the girl.

'Who is it?' The older woman slurred. The copious amounts of alcohol reducing her to a mess of nerves and anxiety.

'It doesn't matter.' The brunette whispered, her eyes looking anywhere but into the dark ones belonging to the older woman.

'If it matters to you, it matters to me.' Andromeda breathed, her breath tickling the younger girl's lips as she closed the distance.

'Andy-' She whimpered.

'Who is it?' The older woman asked, her tongue peeking out to dampen her lips.

'You.' Hermione breathed before pressing their lips together. It was an intoxicating blend of whiskey and something she couldn't quite place.

* * *

Blinking through the dazzling sunlight, Hermione groaned. It was as though the Weird Sisters had a gig in her brain.

'Coffee?'

Looking to the side, the brunette squirmed under the warm gaze of Andromeda Tonks. 'Please.' She muttered. Moving slightly, she could feel the softness of the sheets against her skin. Bare skin.

'Andy… Did we really?'

'Yes.' The older woman replied simply. 'Do you regret it?'

'No.' The Gryffindor's response was immediate.

'Good. Neither do I.' The other witch grinned before pressing a gentle kiss to puffy and bruised lips from the night before.

* * *

'He didn't take it well.' The brunette sighed, collapsing on the sofa beside her lover.

'We knew he wouldn't.' The other woman smiled softly, placing a kiss to her temple.

'How was Narcissa?'

'Remarkably calm and understanding. She wants to meet you again, properly. Not just a fleeting chat in Diagon Alley.' Andromeda smiled warmly, placing her newspaper on the coffee table and giving the girl her full attention.

'I thought, if we kept it to ourselves a while and worked it out together, that when we announced it it would be easier for everyone else.' The brunette admitted, tears in her eyes.

'Don't mistake one reaction with the reactions of everyone else.' Andromeda reasoned, her fingers running down the girls arm in an attempt to soothe her. 'We couldn't keep this a secret anymore, darling.'

'I know, and I didn't want to.' Hermione smiled. 'I just hoped giving Ron a few more months to get used to me saying no, would make him more mature about the situation.'

Andromeda stroked the girl's left forearm. Her fingers tracing the scar left there. If it were anyone else, Hermione would have tensed and fled, but not Andy. When the older woman did it, it seemed to relax her. She couldn't explain why. Andromeda had known it was there. Fleur had told her, not long after the final battle. Nothing could have prepared her for the pain, the lurching of her soul when she saw it for the first time. The sick feeling that lingered in her stomach for weeks after seeing it, knowing that it was her sister, her Bella, that had inflicted it upon her Gryffindor.

'It's okay.' Hermione whispered, noting the despondent look in her lover's eyes. 'It wasn't the Bella you knew.'

'I love you.' Was the whispered response, watery, dark eyes gazing up at her.

'I love you too.'

* * *

'I don't know what to say…'

'Yes, would be preferable.' Andy joked, her eyes alive with hope as she stared at her girlfriend.

'Of course it's a yes!' Hermione grinned, tears cascading down her cheeks. The two kissed, hungrily and passionately. Their tears mingling together as they sat on the sofa.

'I didn't think I'd ever feel happiness again.' Andromeda admitted softly, her eyes staring at their clasped hands. 'I don't quite know where you came from.'

'I know.' The brunette whispered, her mouth pressing kisses all over the other woman's face.

'You make me feel. From the moment you popped into my life, asking me about my bloody sister of all things, it was inevitable.' Andromeda continued, her fingers fumbling over the small ring in her hand. 'This was hers.' She whispered finally. Scared of her lover's reaction. 'Our mother, was a lover of fine jewellery. This was her wedding ring of choice. The ring my father got her was an heirloom, extravagant and well, grim to be honest. It was a chunky black diamond. When they first married, she went shopping and replaced it with this one. Something much more subtle but beautiful. Then, when Bella was born her perspective changed. It was then that she realised she loved my dad. She wore the ring he proposed with and set this one aside as Bella's, knowing that she was likely to go through a similar thing. She explained it to us growing up. She bought the ring she loved the most, to compensate for not loving my father. Until he gave her the loves of her life; her children. Then she gave her most prized possession to her eldest, a reminder that even when you don't think it's possible, love can surprise you. At the time, I wanted to hurl. I was too young for this romance nonsense. Bella, she gave this to me when I ran away. It's been locked away since. But now, I realise what my mother meant. Love has hit me harder than I'd ever dared to dream; when I was at my most hopeless.'

Hermione cupped the older woman's cheeks, her thumbs gently wiping away the falling tears. 'I've never known anyone as incredible as you.' She whispered. 'I love it.'

Andromeda beamed as she slid the ring onto her love's finger. The kisses came in waves. Kisses, tears, laughter and comfort. It was all they needed.

* * *

Hermione Black. She still couldn't get used to it. She had married Andromeda. A quaint and cosy ceremony where she had danced with Draco, Narcissa, Harry, and Ron. Simultaneously. It felt like a dream. Like at any moment someone would be shaking her gently, urgently calling for her to wake up or she'd be late for potions. She watched her wife walk around their house, making sure Teddy didn't fall off his broom. These moments brought her the most joy. The moments she could relax and watch her family.

'Are you okay, love?' Andromeda kissed her cheek, wary of the far off look in her new wife's eyes.

'Just feeling sentimental.' Hermione admitted. 'I feel guilty. Marrying you.'

'Well, you're not allowed to.' The older woman smirked. 'I know for certain, that neither Ted nor Dora would have wanted me sitting around and moping for the rest of my life. You are the sole reason I'm not. Dora always spoke of you, she adored you and the rest of your lot. And I just know that Ted would have loved you too.'

'They should be here, not me.' The brunette sighed, hiding her face in her wife's neck.

'Well, they're not. And as much as it pains me, I cannot live in the past. Neither can you. We covered this a long time ago, dear. Back when Ronald and you were together.' She laughed softly. The sound made her wife feel much better.

'To the future.' Hermione smiled, her eyes locking with darker ones.

'The future.'

* * *

As much as Andromeda had not expected, Hermione Granger, she had expected another child even less. She would never forget the day she came home to find her wife pale, clammy and terrified. Only to then announce that she was pregnant. It had been Minerva McGonagall who set their minds at rest. She had explained, with a smile, that it was very rare; it only happened to souls destined to be together.

Hermione had expected her wife to be resentful. She'd lost her husband and child. She didn't want her to feel as though Hermione was trying to replace both. She was soon told to stop being so silly. 9 months had passed in the blink of an eye. They had charged to St Mungo's to be greeted by a swarm of guests. The Weasley's were all in attendance, Harry, Ginny and their three kids, Narcissa and Draco were pacing, the former with tears in her eyes, the Longbottom boy and his wife Luna sat in the middle, Minerva McGonagall who was beaming with pride and Ron, with his wife and one-year-old daughter – Rose.

It was a celebrated day across the wizarding world. The birth of their daughter had been headline news the following day. Andromeda cried silently, standing behind her wife with her grandson peeking into the bundle of blankets which held her child, and his aunt.

'Kastra Nymphadora Black.' Hermione told the nurse with a soft smile.

* * *

'Kastra Nymphadora Black.' Professor McGonagall called. The two women beamed and enthusiastically applauded as they watched their daughter graduate from Hogwarts. Beside them, a bubblegum-pink haired boy was beaming with pride.

'I still don't think she has the balls to be an Auror, like me.' He whispered to his gran. 'She takes after Mione too much.'

'I heard that.' The witch in question replied dryly causing the boy to grin. Andromeda squeezed her wife's hand, her eyes brimming with tears. 'I love you.' She whispered as the rest of the students were called up, one by one.

'Get a room.' Teddy chuckled, ignoring the glare his grandmother was sending him.

'What did we do to deserve a second chance like this?' Andromeda's smile was sad.

'Oh, I don't know. Survive a war and kick some arse?' The younger witch had smirked, kissing her wife's cheek softly before standing to greet their daughter as she strode towards them.

* * *

'Mum, you have to come with me now.' Kastra whispered, her hand resting on her mother's shoulder. 'There's nothing you can do just standing here.'

The words felt as though they were trying to penetrate water. They didn't form in her ears correctly. She knew her daughter was talking to her, but for the life of her she couldn't pin point what was said. Instead she stared. Stared at the pale face and closed eyes. A cold hand still clutched tightly in her own.

'Just another minute.' She husked brokenly, her voice hoarse.

'The doctors are going to want to move her soon.' Teddy reasoned. Glancing at him, she saw his hair was black, and his eyes a rich chocolate.

'It should be me.' She choked, tears spilling down her face and wetting the hand in her own.

'It shouldn't be anyone.' Kastra sighed, her own tears beginning to fall. 'It was an accident. But there's nothing we can do now. She wouldn't want you sat here like this.'

Still there was no response.

'I'm going to go and explain the situation to the others. Do you want me to tell Victoire you'll be a while longer?'

'Please.' Teddy whispered. He waited for his aunt to leave before crossing the room. His eyes fell to the lifeless body and he struggled for breath. 'We can come back, in a little while.' He stated. 'But we need to let the professionals do their thing. Please.' He whispered, his hand resting on her shoulder.

'Just give me a minute.' Was all she could say. She waited until she was sure he'd gone before releasing a sob. She pressed her face into a soft stomach to muffle her cries. 'I love you.' She whispered. Over and over until she could speak no more. Pressing a kiss to the back of her wife's hand, she stood. Strong arms wrapped around her to stop her from falling. She hadn't noticed him return, she was sure he'd have been checking on his wife and son.

'Ted.' She husked, her tears falling harder as he held her closely.

'I love you, gran.' He whispered into her hair. 'Hermione did too.' His heart shattered at the sound of her cries, he held her close, desperate to both give and receive her comfort.


End file.
